Following
weekend tours of storm-damaged areas in Pensacola, Florida’s Chief Financial
Officer Tom Gallagher today announced an insurance “super-center” at the
Department of Financial Services’ mobile headquarters in Pensacola. Consumers
visiting the location will have access to state consumer specialists and
customer service representatives from most major insurance companies.

“Pensacola residents with property damage now
have a ‘one-stop shop’ to file insurance claims and get answers to insurance
questions and concerns,” Gallagher said.

The insurance “super-center" is located at the University Mall,
7171 North Davis Hwy., in Pensacola. Available on the mobile unit are satellite
and cellular phones, computers and other information resources to allow staff to
assist victims immediately, in their communities. The unit will also help
insurance agents and adjusters locate policyholders. Insurance companies
co-locating as of today include: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation,
Travelers, Allstate, State Farm, Met Life, USAA and Mercury Insurance. More
insurance companies are expected to join DFS within the next few days.

The department also has staff and resources at more than twenty FEMA disaster
recovery sites statewide. For a full list of sites, consumers should log on
to
www.MyFloridaCFO.com.

Gallagher reminded Floridians that the state’s hurricane hotline
remains available at 1-800-22-STORM, where consumer specialists have helped more
than 30,000 individuals and families since Hurricane Charley made landfall last
month.
Informational flyers are also being distributed to storms victims, copies of
which are also available on the above website.

“Though
storm victims are still focusing on the immediate needs of food, water and
shelter, we stand ready to help with the rebuilding process,” said Gallagher.
“It’s my job to make sure insurance claims are paid quickly, that adjusters meet
with homeowners in a timely manner and that no one takes advantage of Floridians
coping with Ivan’s aftermath.”

The
department’s Mobile Response Unit will be arriving in Pensacola , and consumer
specialists will begin canvassing damaged areas. It will center operations at
the University Mall, 7171 North Davis Hwy., in Pensacola. Available on the
mobile unit are satellite and cellular phones, computers and other information
resources to allow staff to assist victims immediately, in their communities.
The unit will also help insurance agents and
adjusters locate policyholders. CONTINUED

“As I have
seen with Floridians who went through both Hurricane Charley and Frances, the
people of this state are incredibly resilient,” Gallagher said. “We will
recover and rebuild.”

Gallagher reminded Floridians that the state’s hurricane hotline remains
available at 1-800-22-STORM, where consumer specialists have helped more than
30,000 individuals and families since Hurricane Charley made landfall last
month.

Gallagher reminded Floridians who are returning to their homes that the recent
heavy rains may continue to pose flood hazards. In such conditions, road
surfaces can become obscured, causing drivers to unknowingly steer into a deep
body of water, such as a canal or pond. Electricity from downed street lights
or power lines can be conducted through standing water, causing a potentially
deadly shock. Gallagher further advised affected Floridians to take the
following actions immediately following the storm:

·Make
emergency repairs to protect from further damage, document the damage and
repairs in writing, and with receipts and photos.

Maintain copies of your household inventory and other documentation,
including photos. This will assist the adjuster in assessing the value of
the destroyed property.

If
considering the assistance of a public insurance adjuster, verify that they
are licensed by calling the department’s toll-free storm hotline at
1-800-22-STORM.

Be sure
you understand how much a public insurance adjuster is charging and what
services are included before signing any contract.

Consumers
who are approached by an unlicensed agent or adjuster or have been the victim of
an insurance fraud scam can also file a complaint online on the department's web
page or by calling the storm hotline.

Consumers can also continue to call the disaster hotline at
1-800-22-STORM (1-800-227-8676) and find additional resources on the
department’s website at
www.MyFloridaCFO.com.
Informational flyers are also being distributed to storms victims, copies of
which are also available on the above website.

GALLAGHER TO LENDING INDUSTRY: REACH OUT WITH DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher is
asking lenders to offer a compassionate response to Floridians dealing with the
devastating aftermath of Hurricanes Charley and Frances, including eliminating
fees for lending transactions and granting loan payment extensions to affected
customers.
“I’m asking financial service companies to reach out to help the thousands of
storm victims,” Gallagher said. “When disaster strikes, we must all stand
together to help those in need, and I’m proud to partner with Florida’s lending
industry in getting our citizens on the road to recovery.”

Gallagher offered the following suggestions for lenders assisting borrowers who
are in the process of rebuilding after the storms. Within prudent lending
guidelines, lenders should recognize individual circumstances and consider the
following: CONTINUED

Waiving or reducing fees for services.

Waiving or reducing late fee penalties on past
due loan payments.|

Not reporting forbearance or delinquencies to
national credit reporting agencies for a specified time period.

Promptly releasing insurance proceeds in excess
of mortgage balances to pay for repairs.

Promptly releasing funds intended for living
expenses.

Waiving restrictive appraisal requirements, if
applicable.

For refinancing and home equity lines of credit,
accept customer’s waiver of the 3-day right of rescission.

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, who also serves as the State
Fire Marshal, today offered an update on search and rescue efforts and thanked
emergency responders for their crucial, life-saving actions.

“Our initial response to major disaster is critical when lives are at stake,”
said Gallagher, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. “The jobs of
first responders are a reminder of why we’re here - to help Floridians in their
time of need.”

The State Fire Marshal’s Office, which is responsible for mobilizing search and
rescue efforts from the state Emergency Operations Center during an emergency,
has since Thursday been activated to assist Floridians coping with the aftermath
of Hurricane Ivan. Currently, the office is coordinating four FEMA urban search
and rescue teams, six state search and rescue teams and 40 teams of firefighters
with equipment available to assist local emergency responders. CONTINUED

These efforts are in addition to State Fire Marshal personnel who yesterday
assisted local and state rescue workers in clearing roadways and boat ramps of
debris to allow rescue crews to get to stranded or wounded Floridians. Today,
State Fire Marshal teams are aiding rescue forces in Perdido Island and East
Milton and searching for individuals who may have been trapped due to building
collapses.

The department’s Division of Insurance Fraud will be mobilized to support law
enforcement efforts in storm-affected areas in preventing looting and other
crimes associated with natural disasters, including insurance scams and price
gouging.

“I’m incredibly proud of the response of our employees, who have been working
around the clock, and of all the state and local emergency responders,”
Gallagher said. “Many of our emergency coordinators have been on the job since
Tropical Storm Bonnie, more than a month ago.”

Gallagher, who yesterday laid the groundwork for insurance consumer specialists
to enter storm-damaged areas in the panhandle to assist consumers in contacting
their insurance companies and filing claims, said he would continue to provide
support and resources to first responders as long as search and rescue efforts
lasted.

Recovery efforts continue in south and central Florida as victims of Hurricanes
Charley and Frances begin rebuilding their homes and businesses. Gallagher, who
served as insurance commissioner during Hurricane Andrew, has redeployed
insurance specialists and volunteers into affected areas, and the state’s
hurricane hotline remains open at 1-800-22-STORM. More than 30,000 Floridians
have been assisted with insurance questions and complaints.

FLOOD LOSSES AREN'T COVERED BY
YOUR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE POLICY

Here's how "flood" is defined by
the National Flood Insurance Program:

"A general and temporary
condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry
land area or of two or more properties (at least one of which is the
policyholder's property) from:

Overflow of
inland or tidal waters; or

Unusual and
rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; or

Mudflow; or

Collapse or
subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a
result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water
exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood as defined
above."

So,
in plain English, a flood is an excess of water (or mud) on land that's normally
dry.

Floods often happen when bodies of water overflow or tides rise due to heavy
rainfall or thawing snow. But you don't have to live near water to be at risk of
flooding. A flash flood, which can strike anywhere without warning, occurs when
a large volume of rain falls within a short time. CONTINUED

More and more buildings, roads and parking lots are being built where forests
and meadows used to be, which decreases the land's natural ability to absorb
water. Coupled with changing weather patterns, this construction has made recent
floods more severe and increased everyone's chance of being flooded.

Dangerous or damaging floods don't always mean dramatic, rushing waters through
the streets of your hometown. Just a single inch of water can cause costly
damage to your home! Keep this in mind when you're considering flood insurance.

Many people wrongly
believe that the U.S. government will take care of all their financial needs if
they suffer damage due to flooding. The truth is that Federal disaster
assistance is only available if the President formally declares a disaster. Even
if you do get disaster assistance, it's often a loan you have to repay, with
interest, in addition to your mortgage loan that you still owe on the damaged
property.

Most importantly, you
must consider the fact that if your home is flooded and disaster assistance
isn't offered, you'll have to shoulder the massive damage costs alone.

The bottom line? If
you're looking for secure protection from financial loss due to flood damage,
Federal disaster assistance is not the answer.

Option 2: Buy flood insurance and stay protected no matter what.

When disaster strikes,
flood insurance policyholder claims are paid even if a disaster is not Federally
declared.

Flood insurance means
you'll be reimbursed for all your covered losses. And unlike Federal aid, it
never has to be repaid.

As a homeowner, you can
insure your home up to $250,000 and its contents up to $100,000. If you're a
renter, you can cover your belongings up to $100,000. As a non-residential
property owner, you can insure your building and its contents up to $500,000.

In general, a policy
does not take effect until 30 days after you purchase flood insurance. So, if
the weather forecast announces a flood alert for your area and you go to
purchase coverage, it's already too late. You will not be insured if you buy a
policy a few days before a flood.

A flood insurance
policy is easy to get, affordable and offers invaluable peace of mind. With
flood insurance, you know you're covered … no matter what.

You
can also buy a flood insurance policy to cover the contents of your home, such
as furniture, collectibles, clothing, jewelry and artwork.

Policies are available in three forms: Dwelling (most homes), General
Property (apartments and businesses), and Residential Condominium
Building Association (condominiums).

It's
important to know that if you have a federally backed mortgage on a home located
in a high-risk zone, federal law requires you to purchase flood insurance. Also,
if you've received a federal grant for previous flood losses, you must have a
flood policy to qualify for future aid.

Buying flood insurance is the best thing you can do to protect your home, your
business, family, and financial security.

FINANCING HOME REPAIRS: CONSUMER
CHECK LIST

If you need
to finance your home repairs, and a mortgage or lien will be placed against your
property, use this checklist prior to signing any contract!

Remember: When financing your home improvements,
1. YOU are entitled to a copy of the contract at the time that you sign it.
CONTINUED
2. YOU must keep a copy of your contract to protect your legal rights.
3. YOU must never sign any contract in blank - write N/A on any blank line!
4. YOU are responsible for payments on any financial contract or home
improvement contract containing a mortgage. Failure to make your payment may
result in foreclosure of your property.

The
completed contract SHOULD NOT have any blank spaces and MUST include:
1. Name of home improvement finance seller;
2. Signatures of both the owner and contractor;
3. Notice of the right to rescind the contract within 3 business days;
4. Approximate dates the work would begin and end;
5. Amount financed, down payment amount and any difference between those two;
insurance specifying coverage and benefits, official fees, survey and permit
charges;
6. Premiums paid for group credit life or other insurance should state which
party is to procure the insurance.
7. Depending on the length and terms of the loan, finance charges can be as high
as 22% APR. You may want to contact FEMA's disaster assistance program at
1-800­621-3362 for lower interest rates.
8. NO provision for a power of attorney should be in this contract.

Once the project is complete:
1. Owner and contractor must sign a certificate stating all work has been
completed. CAUTION: Do not sign this certificate unless all work has been
performed!
2. Ask your contractor to furnish a release of liens against the property.
3. Keep a copy of the completion certificate and lien release to protect your
rights.